A/N I own nothing from The Outsiders, all rights to SE Hinton.
ETOH
"Good work today, Darrel. I think you'll work out just fine. See you on Monday."
Mr. Campbell slapped me on the back as I nodded, smiling back at him. He was an old bird, doing construction for near twenty years now. I've been working for him for the last two summers, so when I came to him three months ago asking for a full time position, he didn't hesitate. Even paid me more than I expected him to, but I guess he'd heard about my situation and was silently trying to help. I appreciated it. My whole world fell apart then, and even now I was still trying to get things straightened out.
I hadn't planned for this, that's for sure. Just two years ago, I graduated from high school with a scholarship for college. It was something I had been looking forward to since I started junior high, getting a chance to get out of Tulsa, away from the pointless fighting and lack of opportunities that plagued everyone here. I spent every afternoon studying, getting my grades to where I could compete for academic scholarships. I also practiced hard at football, so that I could also have a chance at an athletic scholarship – whatever I could get to get me off to college and out of here. Well, in the end, I'd won a scholarship, but it still wasn't enough for me to go.
My parents were supportive. They also wanted me to go to college...something no one in our family had ever done before. Problem was, we could barely afford what we had, and asking my parents to cough up extra money so I could attend was something I couldn't lower myself to do. Dad already spent a few extra hours every day at work as it was, building roads and bridges in and near Tulsa. That's when I temporarily put away my dreams of going to college full time and got hired on with Mr. Campbell, roofing houses for his construction company. He took one look at me and hired me on the spot for summer work. Said I had the build for the labor involved, he'd teach me the rest. I didn't know what he meant then, but I found out in a relatively short period of time.... it was back breaking work in uncomfortable -sometimes unbearable conditions. It was hard to keep people in this job, but I didn't quit. I saved enough to attend one class at a time, so that's what I did. Work, study and help out my folks with my younger brothers. For two years, that was my life. Then the accident happened, and everything changed.
Mom and Dad were headed out to a rare holiday dinner, just the two of them. I got stuck with Soda and Ponyboy, who were sixteen and thirteen at the time. Soda had just turned sixteen, and thought he was all that. He's the louder of my brothers, playful and funnier than Ponyboy. He's also more action, never sitting still. He's also getting really good with mechanical stuff. Every time Dad has to do something with the car, Soda's right there, getting grease and oil all over himself and his clothes, infuriating Mom to no end.
Ponyboy is the polar opposite; more the quiet type, preferring books and movies. He can draw rather well, and even plays Mom's piano with relative skill. He's unfortunately not real sociable and doesn't have many friends, outside our band of cohorts in crime. Puberty was just beginning to hit him, and he's getting that awkward legginess mixing with his still baby- faced features. If things keep going the way they are, Soda's gonna have competition when it comes to catching the eyes of the girls.
Anyway, like I was saying, I was watching the two of them that night, just three months ago. The gang was also over at the house hanging out. School was still on holiday break. Ponyboy and Johnny- his best friend who, believe it or not, was even quieter than Ponyboy; were playing a game of checkers while Soda and I, along with our friends Steve and Two-Bit, were playing poker. Soda and Steve were cheating, as usual, but it really wasn't helping them any. I was just playing to kill time. Dallas... the last of our closest friends, had gotten busted for breaking windows at the school and was spending the holidays in the county lock up. Ho-Ho-Ho.
Things wound down around eleven, Pony fell asleep sitting up on the couch, watching some rerun of The Honeymooners, and Soda and Steve were wrapping up the poker game. Everyone else had headed to their own houses. I picked Pony up and took him to his room, covering him with his blanket when I heard the doorbell ring. I heard Soda answer the front door as I came out, closing Pony's door behind me.
"Mr. Curtis?" the police officer asked. My world changed then.
The funeral was difficult. I was still going on remote. My brothers had dissolved into sobs, and as much as I wanted to join them in that grief, I couldn't. I had a job to do, with no time to let emotion get in the way. The railroad paid for the funerals, seeing as how it was their fault the crossbars at the train track weren't working. They settled out of court, but what little cash I got would never replace what was lost.
That was when I quit school and went to work for Mr. Campbell full time. It was still not enough, so I got another job at the warehouse unloading the delivery trucks a few nights a week. Anything I could do to get money in the house was what I did.
I found out tonight what it was costing me.
XXX
"Darry, stop, you really don't wanna see this." Dally was blocking my way into my house, and the sound of someone puking was clearly resonating down the hall.
I looked over his shoulder, Steve and Two-Bit were outside the bathroom door leaning against opposite sides of the door frame looking in. Steve must have heard me come in and looked over his shoulder at me, a worried expression on his face, while Two-Bit kept his attention inside the bathroom. Johnny was sitting on the couch, curled up... that tense look on his face. Fear. Why he was so afraid right now, I didn't know.
The smell of alcohol came from the direction of the bathroom, and I sighed, wondering how much Soda had had tonight. He was too young to be drinking, but it wasn't like this was his first time either. Odd though, he usually wasn't one for the booze, but, things weren't going so well for him at school either. I'd have to give him a lecture in the morning, once he sobered up, about what he was doing and the message he was sending. After all, Ponyboy had been sticking closer to him since the funerals, and Soda's influence was strongest with our youngest brother. I really didn't want him getting mixed up in booze. I'd lose my guardianship over both of them in a heartbeat if the State ever did a surprise inspection and found him in any way, shape or form drunk or hung over.
"Dallas, move out of my way. Now."
Dally kept prancing in front of me, and Two-Bit came half way down the hall.
"Really, Darry... this ain't something you truly wanna see."
Now my attention was really piqued. I moved him aside and went to the door. Steve knew better than to even say a word, because by now I saw exactly what the problem was. They were wise to try to hold me back.
Soda had one hand on his head, his other arm wrapped around his middle, keeping Pony from literally collapsing into the toilet as he lay there limp as a fish against the white porcelain. I literally felt my blood begin to boil.
"Ohhh shit..." Pony muttered as another round of vomiting hit him.
"Move," I growled to Steve, who complied without a word. I leaned over Pony's weakened form and looked at Soda, sitting on the edge of the tub, holding our youngest brother as the waves of nausea went through him.
"What the hell happened?"
"I dunno. Steve and me came home to find Johnny out back next to Ponyboy, smelling a few sheets to the wind, empty bottle of ole Jack next to him. We carried him inside, that's when this started."
"I couldn't get him inside. Sorry Darry, I tried... but he's too heavy for me to lift." Johnny's small voice called out from the hallway.
I turned to look at him. "Were you there when he started drinking?"
Johnny shook his head. "No."
"Then this isn't your fault and you have nothing to be sorry for."
I looked down at Pony, he was out cold now. I got a washrag and wet it, pulling him back from the toilet and out of Soda's arms. I ran it over his face and hands – he never stirred. I dead -lifted him and carried him to his and Soda's room, Soda following me to pull the sheets back.
"I'll get him undressed," Soda offered. I nodded, then went back to the bathroom to flush the toilet and pepper the porcelain in Comet powder in an attempt to try to kill the pungent odor.
"Who gave him the booze?" I called out to anyone willing to answer. As expected, silence came back.
"I don't keep Jack Daniels in my house, so someone better damn well tell me where my thirteen year old kid brother managed to score it from."
Nothing.
"Dallas, you picked him and Johnny up from school, didn't you?"
"Yeah, but I uh.. I didn't give him no booze. I ain't that stupid."
"Anyone with him after school? Two-Bit? Steve?"
"I was with Kathy, came over here about ten minutes before you came home, Dar."
"Soda and me were at the station, getting my schedule." Steve replied, holding his hands up as if to say he had nothing to do with it.
I looked back at Dallas. "What's stashed in your car, Dally? And don't tell me 'nothing' cause I know better than that. Did you make any pit-stops along the way?"
"Johnny wanted a Coke and a burger. I stopped for a few minutes, Pony stayed ...in ...the car."
Dallas slowed down his talking, realizing something. We all looked at him, then this cat like grin appeared on his face.
"And yeah, I do have a bottle of Jack in the storage console, now that I think of it."
My eyes narrowed. "Go get it. And if it ain't there, don't come back unless you want to go to the ER tonight."
He looked at me, then backed up to the door, finally turning to leave. I had a feeling I wouldn't be seeing the likes of Dallas for a few days. The rest of the gang read my expression and decided to split too.
Johnny got up to leave along with the rest, but I called him back.
"Johnny."
He stopped and looked at me.
"I ain't mad at you. If you need to stay here tonight, you ain't got to leave. I'll deal with Pony in the morning."
"Thanks Darry. You uh ... you sure you don't mind? I don't wanna be in the way or nuttin."
"No, kid... I don't mind. You know better than to ask. My door is always open, even if there are fireworks going off inside. I'll get you a blanket and a pillow, you can go to sleep when ever you want."
Johnny had flipped the TV on and was watching "I Love Lucy" while I went to check on Ponyboy and Soda. Soda was sitting in a chair by the bed, watching Pony sleep. For once, his eyes weren't dancing, and his brow was furrowed with concern.
"I don't know what set him off, Darry. He just ain't taking losing Mom and Dad real well."
"That's no excuse to get drunk."
I put my hand over Pony's heart, feeling it thump away under his skin. His breathing was regular. From what I saw in the toilet bowl, he had to have gotten most of it out of his system the reverse way it went in. I smoothed his hair back from his forehead.
"Aside from this mess, anything else happen that I should know about?"
"No."
"What's for dinner?"
Soda looked at me, I guess food was forgotten when Soda found Ponyboy in the state he was in.
I sighed, "I'll make some sandwiches. You want tuna or chicken salad?"
"Chicken salad."
He got up and followed me to the kitchen, and before long Soda, Johnny and I had a small and unusually quiet dinner. Seeing how there really wasn't much else to do, we played a few hands of rummy then went to get ready for bed.
"You sleeping in here tonight?" I asked, pausing at their door.
Soda looked at me. "Yeah, he might need me. I don't want him waking up drunk and terrified. His nightmares are only getting worse."
I had noticed the same thing about Pony's nightmares. I was gonna have to take him to a doctor if they didn't stop soon.
"Call me if you need me."
Soda nodded and I left them to go to my room.
XXX
The next morning, Johnny had folded his blanket and left it on top of the pillow, gone before the sun came up. Soda and I were having breakfast when the door opened and Pony stumbled out. He looked like shit. Smelled like it too.
"Good morning, Ponyboy! Hope you feel up to running, cause that's what you're gonna do." He looked at me with bloodshot eyes, his face cringing at my loud and falsely chipper tone. I was gonna make sure he would never want to touch a drop again, even if it killed me to make him hurt to do it.
I had him change into his track gear and hauled him to the high school, then had him run laps around the track. It was Saturday morning, and I knew no one would be here to bother us. He still hadn't showered, so the full effect was on him the whole way.
He protested, whined, and begged, but eventually he gave in and set off. He was hurting, stopping to puke again... or dry heave... still not sure which; he was on the back end of the track when I saw him double over, but he finished and set off again. When it looked like he was getting his focus back and could run without looking like it hurt so much, I went out to stop him. I had lost count how many laps it took, but was secretly impressed.
"Is it out of your system now?"
"Yeah..." he said panting. I stayed upwind... man did he reek.
"Wanna tell me what all this was all about?"
"I just … I dunno, was curious... I guess." He just looked at me, hands on his hips, slowing his breathing - then flicked the sweat off his face with one wipe of his hand.
I looked at him. Unbelievable! He was curious about alcohol so he got drunk. What the heck was he gonna do when he got curious about girls? There weren't enough antacids for the ulcers I knew he was gonna give me.
"Well, curiosity killed the cat. You pull this stunt again, you'll wish you were dead. Two weeks, little man. You've earned yourself two weeks house arrest. No movies, no library, no eating out or hanging out with the guys. Not even Johnny. No TV. I better have the cleanest house in Tulsa, if not the whole of Oklahoma. You reading me clear?"
"Yeah, I got ya."
I looked at him. He was covered in sweat from head to toe and looked about as uncomfortable as a virgin watching a porn movie. Don't ask how I know that. Anyway, he nodded and I finally relented. I put one hand on his shoulder and guided him back to the truck.
As I pulled out of the school parking lot, I heard his quiet voice speak.
"I'm sorry, Darry. I won't do this again. I promise."
Something told me he meant it.
XXX
Calla Lilly Rose